AdverbsHSK 6
Comparing 居然 and 反而
居然 (jūrán) expresses surprise at an unexpected outcome, while 反而 (fǎn'ér) indicates a result that is contrary to what was expected. Common pitfall: using 居然 for a logical opposite rather than a surprising event, which requires 反而.
Examples
- 他居然忘记了我的生日。Tā jū rán wàng jì le wǒ de shēng rì.He actually forgot my birthday.
- 她居然会说六种语言。Tā jū rán huì shuō liù zhǒng yǔ yán.She unexpectedly can speak six languages.
- 我帮他，他反而生我的气。Wǒ bāng tā, tā fǎn ér shēng wǒ de qì.I helped him, but he got angry with me instead.
- 雨不但没停，反而下得更大了。Yǔ bú dàn méi tíng, fǎn ér xià dé gèng dà le.The rain not only didn't stop, but instead got heavier.
- 他失败了很多次，反而更加努力了。Tā shī bài le hěn duō cì, fǎn ér gèng jiā nǔ lì le.He failed many times, but instead he worked even harder.